The Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) take their postseason quest west to face the Houston Texans (2-12-1) in an AFC South clash on Sunday afternoon.
The Jaguars come in with a rest advantage as they toppled the New York Jets on the road last Thursday night to open the Week 16 slate. The Texans also recorded a win over the holiday weekend, having upset the Tennessee Titans on the road 19-14 this past Saturday.
With the stage set for this late-season matchup, let’s dive into our Jacksonville vs Houston best bets, predictions and betting tips for Week 17.
Jaguars vs Texans Odds
The Jaguars’ are four-point road favorites on Caesars Sportsbook as of Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 27. This is somewhat surprising given Jacksonville’s recent play and the fact Houston has only two wins on the season.
The projected total of 43.5 points is more in line with what would be expected considering the Texans’ modest offensive body of work (16.9 points per game, third lowest in NFL).
Take a look at the best Jaguars odds and Texans odds for the 2022 NFL season.
Jaguars vs Texans Implied Totals
Jaguars 23.75, Texans 19.75
Oddsmakers are expecting the Texans to play tough defense as they have in recent weeks, but they also see the Jaguars continuing their recent strong offensive play while limiting Houston’s short-handed offense.
Jaguars vs Texans Pick of the Day
Read more on this Jaguars vs Texans bet below.
Jaguars vs Texans Prediction
Jaguars 27, Texans 20
Trevor Lawrence went through no shortage of growing pains during his rookie 2021 campaign, which was disastrous for the franchise as a whole. However, the arrival of head coach Doug Pederson has been transformative for the 2021 top overall pick, and he’s playing his best football down the stretch.
Lawrence is completing just under 70% of his passes while generating an elite 14:1 TD:INT over his last seven games, a stretch during which he’s averaged 6.6 yards per carry on 29 rush attempts, to go along with two rushing TDs.
Lawrence is maximizing the diverse skill set of his receiving corps, namely Christian Kirk and Zay Jones.
Meanwhile, “redshirt rookie" Travis Etienne has hit 1,000 yards on the ground despite not taking over the lead-back role until midway through the season.
The extensive array of weapons Pederson has at his disposal will serve the Jags well in this contest, with the Texans allowing an NFL-high 175.9 rushing yards per road game along with an NFL-high 5.1 RB yards per carry overall.
Jacksonville should have no problem running a balanced offense.
The Texans should be able to make their fair share of inroads as well against a Jaguars defense that’s allowed 375.8 total yards and 5.7 yards per play in road contests. Davis Mills has some big-play threats at receiver in Brandin Cooks, Phillip Dorsett and Amari Rodgers that could exploit Jacksonville’s deficiencies on the road against the pass.
Ultimately, I see a bit of a high-scoring game where the Jaguars should prevail as they continue their march toward a possible playoff berth.
Jaguars vs Texans Bet Tips
Here are a few Jaguars vs Texans betting trends to consider before making your bets:
- The Jaguars are 7-8 against the spread, including 3-5 as a road team and 2-2 in AFC South games.
- The Texans are 7-7-1 ATS, including 3-4 as a home team and 3-4 in division games.
- The Over is 8-7 in the Jaguars’ games, including 6-2 in their road games. Meanwhile, the Over is 6-9 in the Texans’ games, including 3-4 in their home contests.
- The Jags are 3-3 ATS after a win this season, while the Texans are 0-1 in that split.
Jaguars vs Texans Best Bets
Over 43.5 points (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
As discussed, the Jaguars offense is rolling at the moment, and although the Texans defense has put some solid performances together recently, Lawrence’s abundance of weapons should still help produce a solid point total for Jacksonville.
Meanwhile, the Texans’ offense could also have its moments against a Jaguars defense that’s been more vulnerable on the road, leading to the Over hitting.
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Jaguars -1.5 2H (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The Jaguars have averaged a solid 12 points per road game while allowing 10.3 in that split. The Texans are averaging only 9.4 points per second half at home.
With the Jags having the much more potent offense, I see Jacksonville finishing the game strong by wearing down Houston over the course of the contest.
Soon you will be able to bet on the Jaguars with these Florida sportsbooks!
Jaguars vs Texans Props
Check out the best Jaguars vs Texans player prop bets this week with our props comparison tool. Click on “Show More Games" below to find the Jacksonville vs Houston game and see all of its prop bets.
